How to Save Money Shaving

How to Save Money Every Morning

American men spend hundreds of dollars a year, if not thousands, shaving their faces. Individual razors can cost upwards of $5.00 each, and last about a week before they rust or get dull. The cheapest ones cost about $0.30, do not provide a smooth shave, leave ingrown hairs, and are only “good” (I use the term loosely) for a single use.

If you are using supermarket disposable razors, then you are getting gouged, both physically and financially.

 

What Are You Paying to Shave?

Let’s put this in perspective. If you are using a decent, supermarket razor, then you are paying $5.00 per week to shave (not counting shaving cream and other related products). $5.00 x 52 weeks = $260.00 — annually.

If you are poor (or unwilling to pay hundreds of dollars per year to shave), then you are paying — on the low end — $0.30 x 365 days = $109.50 annually; and for your “savings,” you have to deal with chaffing, ingrown hairs, poor shaves, and general facial discomfort.

When you see the alternatives to these choices, you will be incensed at the raw (pun intended) deal you are getting.

 

The Alternatives to Shoddy, Expensive Shaving

A Parker brand folding razor and Shark replacement razors.

Straight razors.

They are cheap, effective, compact, and provide a smooth, satisfying shave.

Now, with this, you have a couple options. If you’re wanting to commit to the whole deal, you can get an old-school folding blade, that never has to be replaced, and just needs to be periodically sharpened. Now, this option has a fairly hefty up-front investment, so you shouldn’t do it unless you’re fairly certain you want to commit to it. The sharpening belt will cost about %15.00 on the low end, and the razor can cost upwards of $50.00; but — once you’ve made the initial investment, that’s it! You will never have to spend another red cent on shaving accoutrements. Ever. Again. Unless, of course, you screw up the razor during the sharpening process. In which case, you’ve screwed yourself out of a razor, and will need to get a new one. It is recommended that you get a a cheap, low end razor, first (you can get them for about $15.00), and practice sharpening it before investing in a really good razor.

Or, you can get disposable straight razors. You may ask, “aren’t I just replacing one kind of disposable razor for another?” Yes and no. Yes, they are disposable, but they are much more effective, and much much cheaper. Now, the deal is that you buy a non-disposable folding straight razor, but the razor itself is disposable (and is very easy to replace). No sharpening required. The folding razors can be had as cheaply as $15.00 or even less, and never have to be replaced. The disposable razors typically come in packs of 100, and are very cheap; between $5.00 – $10.00, depending on the brand — again — for packs of 100!

The cheaper brands are usually good for about a week each. The better brands last about two weeks before they start to get noticeably dull. I recommend the Parker brand for the folding razors; they don’t have the flimsy, cheap feel that some other brands do, and they can be had for about $15.00 to $20.00. I prefer the Shark brand of replaceable razors. They can be had for between $5.00 and $7.50 per pack, depending on the vender, and they last about two weeks per blade.

 

Lets do the Math, Here

You can get a folding razor and a pack of Shark replacement razors for a total of $20.00. Each razor lasts about two weeks before it starts to get dull. So that’s two razors per month, which means one pack should last about two years.

So, shaving this way costs $10.00 per year!!! And it’s every bit as good a shave as the high-end supermarket options.

 

Caveat

Now, shaving with a straight razor does require a little finesse. If you are not very careful, you could cut your face up something vicious. The key is to keep the razor almost parallel to your face at all times, inclining it only ever so slightly. I also don’t recommend attempting to dry shave with a straight razor unless you really know what you’re doing (I have done it successfully, but only by using extreme care).

So, let’s be clear — this is shaving with the training wheels off. But it’s not rocket science, and the savings are more than worth it!

How to Save Money Shaving